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Who is driving a wedge between Dahal and Oli? Venezuela, the United States, or their own differing interests?

Pankaj Thapa

February 8, 2019| Read: 2minutes

You remember when Chairman of Nepal Communist Party Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ called the United States an ‘imperialist force’? Yes, in a ‘Press Statement’ which bore the name of his party; and the ramifications has not ceased since.

At the time, PM Oli, and the other Chairman of the NCP was in Davos, Switzerland, so it was natural he would be dazed when the media questioned him upon arrival home. Now, almost two weeks later, things haven’t gotten better.

The inability of the dynamic duo who got together to form one of the largest ‘communist’ parties of Nepal and consequently swept over the elections cannot agree on one point, and that alone should be worrisome to us. Their rift is widening, as both stand by their statements and take on different forms of media to express their ‘apparent’ disappointment about the other.

However, amidst all these, the position of Nepal on the Venezuelan crisis is vague – are we as a nation standing behind Venezuela and Maduro’s incompetent rule? Or, we side with the U.S. and the rest of the world and support the newly self elected leader of Venezuela, Mr. Juan Guaido?

Whichever side we are on, isn’t Prachanda right when he claims the U.S. intervention in Venezuela is an attack on the nation’s sovereignty? And why must Nepal be questioned for their stance by the United States? Russia and China haven’t recognised Mr. Juan Guaido as well. We don’t hear about their ambassadors being called in Washington, or the US looking for explanations from them. Their political position is quite clear – that, they do not want the U.S. interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs.

Then, why is Nepal being asked to clarify its political position? And why cannot our ruling party agree on which side they are on? Nepal as a sovereign nation is allowed to proclaim their support for Venezuela, and that would be justified, after all we are a ‘communist’ nation. But why is PM Oli playing it safe with the U.S.? Is it simply because of the overwhelming amount of money the US pours in Nepal? Or, is there more to it?

With Oli’s administration close ties with the Chinese; I would have thought his stance would have aligned with China, i.e. in support of Venezuela? It’s not like the Chinese are not pouring money in Nepal.

The difference in the views cannot be explained – however, two leaders of the nation differing on such a key matter suggests Nepal Communist Party, which was a merger of two huge political parties wasn’t because of ‘similar political ideologies’, rather a political move to usurp power in the nation.